Rights expert demands release of Russian doctor jailed for anti-war views
November 15, 2024
GENEVA (15 November 2024) – UN human rights expert Agnes Callamard today called for the immediate release of a Russian doctor serving a seven-year prison sentence for speaking out against the war in Ukraine.
Anastasia Vasilyeva, a former doctor at a hospital in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, was arrested in March 2022 after she posted a video on social media criticising the Russian government’s decision to invade Ukraine. In October 2022, she was sentenced to seven years in prison for “spreading false information about the Russian military.”
“Dr. Vasilyeva’s imprisonment is a clear violation of her right to freedom of expression, which is enshrined in international human rights law,” Callamard said. “The Russian authorities must immediately release her and drop all charges against her.”
Callamard noted that Dr. Vasilyeva’s case is not an isolated one. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, numerous journalists, activists, and other individuals have been detained or imprisoned in Russia for speaking out against the government’s actions.
“The Russian authorities are using the war as a pretext to crack down on dissent and silence their critics,” Callamard said. “This is a dangerous and unacceptable trend that must end.”
Callamard urged the international community to take action to secure Dr. Vasilyeva’s release and to hold the Russian authorities accountable for their violations of human rights.
“Dr. Vasilyeva is a voice of conscience who is being punished for speaking truth to power,” Callamard said. “We must not allow the Russian government to get away with this injustice.”
Background:
Anastasia Vasilyeva is a 36-year-old doctor who worked at the City Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Novosibirsk, Russia. In March 2022, she posted a video on social media in which she condemned the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine and called for the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Shortly after posting the video, Vasilyeva was arrested by Russian police and charged with “spreading false information about the Russian military.” In October 2022, she was sentenced to seven years in prison by a court in Novosibirsk.
Vasilyeva’s case has been widely condemned by human rights groups, which have called for her immediate release. The UN Human Rights Committee, which is tasked with monitoring compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has also expressed concern about her imprisonment.
Rights expert demands release of Russian doctor jailed for anti-war views
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